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$16B invested in plant-based and cell-cultured meat since 2009

"Capitalizing on "a global shift in meat production," investors have put more than $16 billion into U.S. plant-based and cell-based meat companies in the past 10 years — $13 billion of it in 2017 and 2018. That's according to two reports released Monday from The Good Food Institute."

"There's also been a spike in acquisitions and new companies, the institute noted. Of the 19 acquisitions of plant-based companies since 2009, 10 occurred in the past two years, the report said. The largest is Danone's purchase of WhiteWave Foods in 2017 for $12.5 billion.​"

"ast year, $673 million was invested in plant-based meat, egg, and dairy companies, the report said. The largest minority investment was toward Impossible Foods' $189 million late-stage VC round, which included $50 million in earlier debt financing. Following that were Ripple's $65 million Series C round, Beyond Meat's $5."

"Tyson Foods, which sold its share in Beyond Meat and plans to launch meatless protein products this summer. Nestlé will roll out its plant-based Garden Gourmet Incredible Burger in Europe this spring and in the U.S. by summer, and said it will introduce a cook-from-raw plant-based Awesome Burger this fall in the U.S. under its Sweet Earth Brand. Laurent Freixe, CEO of Nestle Americas, anticipates the company's plant-based business could hit $1 billion in sales within 10 years, according to Bloomberg. Add in Beyond Meat's recent IPO, which shattered expectations, and these developments signal a thriving future for plant-based meat alternatives.

"A handful of companies are racing to be first to market with affordable beef, chicken, fish or crustacean products consumers will buy and enjoy in place of conventional ones. However, they may have to position their products as "innovative, humane luxuries worth the steep price tags."